Visitor of the Week: Binyam Belachew

Meet Binyam Belachew of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences! The 5th year graduate student is a member of Dr. Kevin D. Raney’s lab within the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department. He joined us this week for Nucleic Acid Therapies where Binyam presented a poster titled “Hepatitis C Virus Non-Structural protein 3 (HCVNS3) Binds and Unfolds Viral G4 RNA Structure.”

Tell us about your research.
My project focuses on understanding the mechanism by which HCV-NS3, the helicase protein encoded by HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) genome, interacts and regulates the unfolding of HCV-G4RNA, the conserved G-quadruplex secondary structures found within the HCV genome. By studying this protein-nucleic acid interaction, we might be able to find factors or processes that could be targeted to suppress the replication of various strains of HCV within a host cell.  

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
I have chosen this project because I was interested in learning more about viruses and how they replicate at a molecular level. In addition, our laboratory has tremendous experience in viral helicases, particularly HCV-NS3, and G-quadruplex structures, so I knew I would get the support I need from my colleagues in the laboratory to successfully complete my PhD.  

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
In my undergraduate Biology Senior Seminar class, the teacher, Professor Patricia Plant  suggested I read and present to the class a recently published paper, “Gene editing of CCR5 in autologous CD4 T cells of persons infected with HIV” (2014). I really enjoyed reading the paper. As I was preparing for my seminar, I read a number of scientific articles and books on viral replication and I started to develop an interest for the topic. The paper also gave me an idea of what project I would like to focus on in graduate school.                  

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
Through my work I hope to contribute to the effort being made by chemists and virologists in designing anti-viral agents that target G-quadruplex structure.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
The thing I like about being a researcher is that it allows me to participate in the advancements of science that improve or save the lives of others. On a personal level, research helps me refine my problem solving skills and gives me the mental exercise I need to keep my brain healthy.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
I wanted to attend to this meeting to learn more about RNA and their application in medicine. In addition, I chose to be part of this meeting to build my network and look for opportunities.   

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
From the meeting, I have learned the challenges and opportunities of using RNA as a therapeutic agent. Dr. Steven Dowdy explained it nicely: the major problem with RNA therapeutics is endosomal escape; only a fraction of the RNA given to the cell makes it to the cytosol. I am happy to have learned this because our laboratory has a growing interest in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
If the meeting stays virtual, I would advise future attendees to take advantage of the virtual PI Chats event where attendees sit with PI of their interest and learn from their experience and ask questions. If the future meetings are in-person, I hope similar events will be available for attendees.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
The Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Pfizer Vaccines Research and Development, Dr. Philip Dormitzer was the keynote speaker at this meeting. It was great to hear him speak of how Pfizer developed the COVID vaccine in a short period of time. I also enjoyed the Q&A session after his talk.

Thank you to Binyam for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Image provided by Binyam Belachew.

Visitor of the Week: Fatemeh Sadat Fatemi Nasrollahi

Meet Fatemeh Sadat Fatemi Nasrollahi of the Pennsylvania State University! The PhD candidate is a member of Professor Réka Albert’s lab, who – this week – took part in her very first CSHL meeting: Network Biology. Fatemeh presented a poster titled “New attractor finding method based on generalized positive feedback loops and their functional relationships” and had this to say of her poster presentation experience:

This was my first time presenting a poster, and I had a wonderful experience. Several researchers were interested in my work, asked questions and we discussed the possible implications of my recent results. More importantly, these discussions helped me find new directions for further research in the future.

Tell us about your research.
As part of my research I study complex systems and their long-term behaviors using Boolean models. In particular, my research is focused on the development of a new method to identify stable communities to which large ecological systems such as plant-pollinator networks converge.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
Computational limitations restrict identifying all long-term behaviors in large networks. The concept of stable motif (a self-sustaining positive feedback loop) has been implemented to simplify this task in Boolean models in our group for a while. I was interested in adapting this concept in plant-pollinator networks (with network size of 10-100) and developing a fast method accordingly to identify the stable communities in plant-pollinator networks.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
I have been privileged to have had great instructors during my undergraduate and graduate studies. One of the most impactful courses I had was a course in biophysics, taught by Professor Seyed-reyhani from my undergraduate school, Sharif University of Technology (Iran). That course inspired me to learn more about biophysics, and find a research topic I was extremely enthusiastic about.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
I think network science has so much potential to reveal the underlying cellular mechanisms leading to specific cell phenotypes and diseases. My plan is to work with other scientists in this field and use my network science knowledge to further understand the cellular dynamics. This knowledge may hopefully be utilized to solve important problems in biology and medicine.  

What do you love most about being a researcher?
Tackling new problems, and learning to ask myself the right questions when facing a new scientific challenge have been my favorite parts of doing research over the past several years.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
I remembered that other graduate students in my lab had great experiences with CSHL meetings, and they described the meeting as being relevant to our research. So, I decided to submit an abstract and participate in the Network Biology meeting.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
The Network Biology meeting offers a great atmosphere for scientists in the field to learn about each other’s research, and hold productive discussions. I learned about computational methods in network biology that are being used to obtain better understanding of diseases and cell phenotypes. Some of these methods are relevant to my research and I am excited to learn more about them and possibly use them in my future projects. Also, scientific conversations with other researchers helped me see my work from their perspective. This meeting helped me realize that such meetings are an invaluable opportunity for graduate students like myself to present their research and interact with pioneering scientists in the field.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
The content of this meeting is especially relevant to scientists whose focus is the specific application of network science to cell biology. I believe it helps broaden their perspective and introduces them to new research problems in this area. I would also advise them to actively pursue scientific conversations to gain the unique experience of interacting with scientists who are eager to not only present their own work but to also learn more about your research and provide useful comments.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
I think the most memorable thing about this meeting was its virtual setting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While it seems the majority of the scientific community prefer in-person interactions during conferences, a significant takeaway from the meeting for me was that I was still able to present my results and get to know other people’s research through a virtual setting.

 Image provided by Fatemeh Sadat Fatemi Nasrollahi.

Thank you to Fatemeh for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Visitor of the Week: Yi Fei Lee

Meet Yi Fei Lee of the Genome Institute of Singapore within the Agency for Science, Technology and Research! The PhD student is a member of the Laboratory of Translational Cancer Biology led by Dr. Tam Wai Leong. She spent most of this week with us at The PARP Family & ADP-ribosylation virtual meeting. This is Yi Fei’s first meeting at CSHL!

Tell us about your research.
The molecular profiles of lung adenocarcinoma differ between ethnic groups, and we use sequencing data from one of the largest Asian clinical cohorts to predict new driver genes. I'm currently working on understanding the mechanisms underlying how these genes drive cancer formation or progression, as well as how we might be able to therapeutically exploit them.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
I've always been interested in cancer research because it is such a prevalent healthcare problem, and also an intriguing intellectual one to tackle. Cancer cells are diverse and able to grow and rewire themselves rapidly, presenting new therapeutic vulnerabilities yet also conferring resistance to existing therapies - it's almost like a cat and mouse game. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality so I hope that incremental findings in this field could lead to better clinical outcomes.  

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
I have always had an interest in the sciences so it was only a natural extension to try out research. During my undergraduate days, I interned at different labs and was fortunate to have had inspiring mentors who helped me to grow as a scientist and shape my research interests. The potential in uncovering new knowledge that could be used to meet currently unmet needs also keeps me motivated.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
I hope to be able to identify novel biomarkers or drug targets that can enable better stratification of patients for more effective treatments. I would love for my work to be able to add value to the field and contribute to improving therapeutic outcomes. 

What do you love most about being a researcher?
I like tinkering around in the lab and being curious, so designing and carrying out experiments to test my hypotheses has always been an enjoyable process. I’m also thankful for the collaborative and supportive environment and love bouncing ideas off colleagues.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
Through my research, I came across a PARP protein and realized there is so much to learn about this fascinating family of proteins! I felt that this meeting would be a good platform to interact with and understand the work of other researchers in the field.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
The meeting gave me new insight into the balance and cross-talk between ADP-ribosylation and other post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, and how that in turn regulates protein activity. I will be using these new ideas to relook at my data from different angles and plan some new experiments.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
Although meetings are inevitably in virtual format these days, a lot of care and thought has gone into creating channels for discussion and interaction between the participants, and I find this to be very valuable. I actually also liked that I could take my time to look at the posters on the virtual platform – there are so many interesting and informative ones! I’m enjoying my first CSHL meeting and my advice would be to make use of the available platforms to engage with other participants.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
The meeting is still in progress, but one of the most memorable moments for me thus far has been the Meet the Speakers session where I got to chat with the speakers – Drs. Lee Kraus and Anthony Leung. I was able to gain a sense of how the field has evolved and what other exciting pursuits lie ahead. I also enjoyed learning about the research interests of other trainees in a more informal setting, and this definitely added a more personal touch to the virtual format of the meeting. 

Thank you to Yi Fei for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Visitor of the Week: Gemma Camara

Meet Gemma Camara of the Bishop’s University in Quebec, Canada! The undergraduate student is completing her research studies under a second experiential learning course at Dr. Rona Graham’s lab at Sherbrooke University, that is co-supervised by Bishop’s University Psychology Department Chairperson Dr. Jonathan Carriere. She spent most of this week with us at the 2020 Neurodegenerative Diseases: Biology & Therapeutics virtual meeting where she presented her first-ever poster entitled “The relationship between cognitive scores and detection of specific odours in the elderly”.

 Tell us about your research.
Olfactory dysfunction is important as it is a common early sign of neurodegeneration. My research project looks at three important questions:

1. If seniors experience general loss or loss of specific scents,

2. The difference in scent identification abilities between males and females,

3. If there is a relationship between correct scent identification and cognitive test scores.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
I started studying under Dr. Graham in her lab during the winter of 2020 with the co-supervision of Dr. Adrianna Mendrek at Bishop's University. Throughout this research experience, I’ve discovered a passion for olfactory function by working on Dr. Graham's research.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
I always had a passion for health science. Bishop's University piqued my interest because it is an English University with smaller classes, which is not easy to find in Quebec. The field of Neuroscience spoke to me; I love the professors and opportunities that this program provides. It is the reason I am here today. Students get a tremendous amount of support to pursue whatever they desire.  

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
Many elderly do not self-report olfactory dysfunction because of its subtle change in daily life. If olfaction is related to cognitive decline and early-onset AD, we could prolong its function by introducing early interventions such as olfactory therapy.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself finishing my Ph.D. in five years, maybe even giving a TED Talk about my research. The subject will most likely be on the physiology of neural pathways and related to olfaction, but I am open to other issues. I am in my third and last year of undergrad for now, and there is still a lot of research to do in the field of olfactory dysfunction.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
The people and science! I love the fact that when you find another researcher who has a similar passion, two strangers can instantly connect and work together or give each other advice, suggestions, etc.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
My supervisor Dr. Graham had suggested this meeting. She is always looking to guide me through new opportunities that will allow me to grow and go beyond my comfort zone. I am very grateful to have such a good mentor.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
During the first night’s social event when Dr. Aaron Gitler asked me if I had applied to Stanford. I never thought to push myself to be a part of any of the “Ivy Leagues” before but his question made me think about the limitations I've set for myself. The sky's the limit, and there are tons of great Universities looking to take on smart ambitious students who are hardworking and who put themselves out there. I plan to continue working hard as a researcher so that soon I’ll be giving a presentation on one of our “groundbreaking” findings.

Also, during the Meet the Speakers event, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Dr. Fenghua Hu and Dr. Goncalo Castelo-Branco, who both gave fantastic presentations on the first day.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
Participate in as many of the conference activities as possible! Fully immersing myself has been a great experience. The speaker and poster presentations enable an opportunity for feedback on published and unpublished data. You will have so many great interactions with the participants!

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
The conference is still not over! But so far, the most memorable moment for me was the icebreaker on the first day. I love conversing with researchers from different universities. Everyone is extremely approachable and eager to give and receive feedback on their work. Thus far, every presentation has been impressive; I would highlight the presentation by Dr. Chloe Lee-Lopez on Male sex chromosomes attenuate cytokine response to inflammation in aging brain.

Thank you to Gemma for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Image provided by Gemma Camara

Visitor of the Week: Erika Estrada

Meet Erika Estrada of the University of California, Davis! Erika is a PhD Student in Linda Harris’ lab who serendipitously “flew” into science. She took part in this week’s Advanced Sequencing Technologies & Bioinformatics Analysis virtual course – her first at CSHL. Erika shares her career plans and we look forward to her shepherding the next generation of scientists.

Tell us about your research.
My research focuses on enhancing microbial food safety with an emphasizing on produce, and tree nuts.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
Honestly, serendipity. While I was flying back from a conference, the person sitting next to me was working on a presentation. I peeked on his screen and saw pictures of microbes, soil and water samples. I asked him about his job, he was an extension faculty at UC Davis and he offered me a job in his lab. After just a couple days of working in his lab, I knew that I wanted to study foodborne pathogens for the rest of my life.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
My future students. In the near future, I would like to become a professor in hopes to inspire, mentor and guide students through their academic career. I hope my story can show them that if I did it (got a PhD and become a scientist) then so can they.

Erika receiving the Developing Scientist Award at the 2019 International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Meeting.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
My ultimate career goal is to become an extension faculty and a professor for an academic institution. As an extension specialist, I want to generate, transmit, and apply knowledge for the direct benefit of the food industry, farmers, and my community. I hope that through my research I am able to develop practices that enhance produce food safety.

As a professor, I want to share my knowledge and academic journey with the younger generations, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, like myself, to motivate them to pursue careers in science.

What do you love most about being a researcher?

I think what I love most about being a researcher is that I get to study something that no one has studied before. I get to provide answers to questions that ultimately have a positive impact in my community, and the food industry.

What drew you to apply to this course?
Currently, I am working on a project aiming to do comparative genomic analysis of multiple Salmonella isolates obtained from a 3-year pistachio survey in California. The ultimate goal of this project is to understand the underlying reasons for unique microbial contamination profile in pistachios.  However, this is the first time during my academic career that I have to do use advanced Bioinformatics tools and techniques. During this quarantine, I have taken a couple of free online courses on UNIX, and read about different software that would be beneficial to process my sequences. Honestly, learning the basics of UNIX, NCBI databases, and data processing software using YouTube, online classes and different websites has been one of the most challenging and satisfying things I have done in my whole academic career. However, I believe that attending this course would be a valuable opportunity to obtain formalized training in the topic and to keep instilling my passion for learning about the application of sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analyses.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this course?
Definitely try to get familiar with R and Unix so that you are able to truly focus on learning about the bioinformatics tools and technologies covered rather than focusing on understanding the code.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Course?
I think the most memorable thing that happened during the course was learning about the power of R when we were building visual tool, such as graphs, plots and heat maps, to actually see the results of our analysis. After this course, I am committed to learn more about R.

Thank you to Erika for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Images provided by Erika Estrada